Promoting Meaningful Learning through Incorporation of Creative Exercises in Inorganic Chemistry (Journal Article)

***______{For Hard Copy, Please visit Library.}________***

Abstract-

Assessments that are open-ended and student-centered may be used to encourage formation of networks between prerequisite material and new course content thereby promoting meaningful learning. Creative Exercises (CEs) are assessments that allow multiple correct answers and do not penalize for incorrect statements thereby inspiring creativity. CEs have been generated and incorporated into an upper-level inorganic chemistry lecture course. Data was collected during two consecutive fall semesters, and thematic analysis of student responses was performed to determine the level of student learning. Findings indicate links to both organic chemistry and physical chemistry. Bloom’s taxonomy was used to evaluate degree of student understanding, and the majority of statements fall into the lower levels of knowledge and comprehension with a modest number of statements rising to the level of application. The student-centered nature of CEs allows for the discovery of misconceptions, and common examples are shared. This additional benefit of CEs improves instructor knowledge thereby enhancing student learning. Correlation between student midterm exam average and CE performance was measured with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.76 suggesting CEs are an accurate measure of student knowledge. A survey collected from study participants indicates that a primary student concern is understanding how CEs are graded. Therefore, low-stress opportunities should be used prior to examination, perhaps with peer-grading implemented to help students overcome this concern.